Then Cometh the Devil

Luke 8:12

Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

So is it predestined that such people have no chance at all? That there are those who are simply "unlucky" to have been targeted by Satan? If so, how can it be fair for God to condemn those who know not God (and implied) and the Gospel (cf. 2Thess 1:8)?

Notice what God said to Cain, the very first recorded murderer - "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." (Genesis 4:7)

James further explains - "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:14 -15)

So what has this got to do with the topic at hand?

The fact of the matter is that, right from the very beginning, even in the garden of Eden, Satan has played the role of the tempter. Oh he is there ever ready to snatch away God's command from us. And he does so by ever so slightly crafting half-truths and presenting temptations. All to the sole intent of ripping us away from obeying God.

BUT....it is ENTIRELY up to us to reject him or succumb to his subtility.

Satan can only take the Word out of our hearts IF we allow him to!

And there are many things that can make one do that. For Cain, it was his jealousy. For Pharaoh, it was his pride. For the rich young ruler, it was his riches.

Wherefore, it remains vital for us to be sober and vigilant (1Pe 5:8), to continually allow the Word to saturated our hearts and minds, to lead us in our thoughts and deeds, to innoculate us from the wiles of the devil, that we too, like Jesus, can successfully ward off Satan's attacks (cf. Mat 4), and that we can ultimately be fruitful and received up into eternal glory.